Sponsor of Common Core Parental Refusal Act says Assembly Majority is sending a terrible message to children who this week are being forced to endure grades 3-8 math tests
“Political cynicism at its worst.”
“All about covering their backsides from angry parents and teachers after passing a terrible state education budget bill in the dark of the night that doubled down on Common Core standardized testing.”
“Incompetent plagiarism” and a “one-house bill that’s going nowhere fast,” those are the nice things Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) is saying about Common Core opt-out legislation sponsored by Assembly Education Chair Catherine Nolan (D-Queens). Nolan’s bill passed the Education Committee today and is being fast tracked for passage in the Assembly despite the fact that it currently has no chance of becoming law.
Tedisco, a former public school special education teacher, is the sponsor of the bi-partisan Common Core Parental Refusal Act (A.6025/S.4161), to require that school districts notify parents of their rights to refuse without penalty to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in the Common Core standardized tests.
Nolan’s bill (A.6777) enables children to be exempted from the tests but it does not require schools notify parents of their right of refusal without penalty as Tedisco’s measure does. Her bill only has Democrat sponsors and does not have a Senate companion.
Last week, at least 175,000 students in grades 3-8 refused to take the state ELA test. Students are set to begin the math exam tomorrow.
“The Majority deserves an ‘F’ for failing students and teachers when the budget was passed and another ‘F’ for being so inept that they can’t even get plagiarism right when it comes to ripping-off my legislation. What a terrible message this sends about doing your own work and setting goals to the children who are now struggling with the test-a-thon madness strengthened and enabled by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle,” said Tedisco.
Below is a comparison between the Tedisco and Nolan bills.
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Refusal/Opt-Out Bills |
Tedisco Bill (A.6025/S.4161) |
Nolan Bill (A.6777)
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Date Introduced
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Given to Clerk March 3, 2015
Received Bill # March 11, 2015 |
April 2, 2015 – two days after Nolan & Assembly Majority Pass Education Budget Bill that doubles down on Common Core standardized tests.
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Notifies Parents of their Right to Refuse to Have Their Children in Grades 3-8 Take Common Core Standardized Tests Without Penalty
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Yes |
No |
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Bi-partisan bill with Democrat and Republican Sponsors in both the Assembly and Senate |
Yes
|
No |
|
Sponsorship Circulated to all Assembly Members |
Yes |
No
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Can currently legislatively be passed in both houses of the Legislature
|
Yes |
No |
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Prohibits students who refuse to take the tests from sitting and staring in the same room as their peers who take the tests.
|
Yes |
Yes
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Protects students, teachers, administrators, schools and school districts from retaliation for opting out of the tests.
|
Yes |
Yes |
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